Nothing to Lose
by Life-Luvr123
Summary: Chief couldn't believe this was happening. "Captain, I have been fighting for-" "Far too long. An aging Spartan is the last thing we need, and I have no other choice. Chief, I'm sorry, but as of now, you are hereby-" a young, female voice interrupted Lasky. "I suggest you choose your next words carefully. I don't want to have saved him for nothing,"


**Okay, so this is an idea that has been hanging around in my head for while now. And, because of a promise I made to a friend, I promised her I would post a variety of stories, so... here you go. **

**I hope you guys like it!**

**I do not own HALO, the name, or its affiliates. **

**August 30, 2552 20:00 Hours [SPARTAN-B312/Noble Six Clock]**

The Covenant has begun their invasion of Planet REACH.

Finally.

SPARTAN – B312, or Six as he has been so recently called, looked into the orange skies as the ships over head got closer. He tightened his grip firmly on the M45 in his hands, and sighs softly. He feels strangely calm, despite the knowledge that he is the last of two Spartans. He looked down, and his MJOLNIR armor connects to the communication systems. He calls. "This is SPARTAN – Bravo 312, requesting COMM link to Doctor Halsey,"

_"Request confirmed, B312. Patching through now," _

Six turned, and went to find better temporary cover for himself as he prepared for the final day he would ever have to breathe.

_"COMM Link confirmed."_

Then the voice he wanted to hear came through and reverberated through his helmet.

_"Six? Have you delivered the package like I asked?"_

"I have. It is in the hands of the Captain of the _Pillar of Autumn_," he reported. "Ma'am….. it's important. I did not board the vessel with the crew and Captain. I stayed behind to protect my home," he said, not a single trace of regret in his smooth voice.

Doctor Halsey, however, did not share the calmness of her Spartans. _"You did what? Six, are you crazy?! What about your-?"_

"Ma'am. Please. Can you… can you put on SPARTAN – Alpha 217?"

_"Her? Why?"_

Silence. Six looks up. The ships are getting closer. It's almost time.

_"Here she is," _Came Halsey's soft voice. She must have realized what Six knew by now too.

_"Six?" _came a very young voice. Six tried to picture the thirteen year old face of the voice's bearer. His little sister. _"Six, are you out of REACH's orbit?"_

"No, A217. I'm not. I stayed behind to protect our home,"

_"Sir, do you need reinforcements? I can be suited up and down ten minutes ago,"_

"Ashton," Six said. The words felt strange on his tongue. Civilian. "Ashton, I'm not coming back. I want you to stay strong. Find a way to beat this enemy. Avenge our homeworld,"

_"Sir?"_

The thirteen year old girl standing in the bridge of the escape vessel to Earth looked anything but her age. Dressed in a Petty Officer's finest, and her auburn hair hidden in the weave of a French double braid, she look almost twenty. Haley watched with interest. Despite this girl's excellent training reports and her obvious obedience for authority, she still showed one thing that made her less like a Spartan, and more like the humans who made her.

Emotion.

She looked like she was beginning to panic now, Halsey noticed it in the way the girl sat down in front of the communications HUB, as if her knees couldn't support her. She began to frantically type. "Six, please. Don't do anything stupid!" she began to beg, her voice filling with the color only a civilian can grant it.

_"I love you, Ashton."_ The words, as powerful as those three are to humans, were empty and filled with no emotion.

Soon, the communication failed as their vessel moved away from REACH. But, Ashton worked a miracle. A Holo-Feed began to scramble – live from Six's HUD. There were two bullet holes in the visor, and hands being raised to it. The helmet was discarded, and jostled a little, before it settled. Halsey's stomach twisted.

She and Ashton watched.

Noble Six began to fire upon an incoming creature, hulking and now being dubbed "Elites". Another one, trying to sneak upon him came from behind, but Six reacted perfectly, whirling, and slamming the butt of the M45 in his hands into the Elite, knocking it to the ground. He took out his pistol, and seemingly shot the beast down, before more plasma bullets began to rain down on him from the left. He turned, and returned fire for a few seconds, before a second wave came from the right, making him stumble.

Ashton gasped when she saw his armor shatter, and blood fly. "Six!" she said, loudly, not yelling yet.

But, once he regained his footing, he shot his M45 in one direction, his pistol in the other, trying to return fire from the cross blows. Halsey sighed in relief. As long as Six remained standing, nothing could stop him. But something in her told her that this was nothing more than temporary luck.

Ashton gasped. "Brother!"

Two bodies fell, and a third, still working, appeared, charging straight for her brother. Six didn't react in time, or maybe the creature surprised him. Whatever it was…, the creature swung its massive arms, and slammed them into Six, and knocked him to the ground. The only sound heard was Six's cry of surprise. The sound was a mixture of a grunt, a cry and an exhale, but it was loud. . The image began to flicker, but was still there. Ashton's gaze was locked onto the screen, desperate to know her brother's fate.

A Navy Marine came next to Halsey. His name was Avery Johnson. He watched, his eyes instantly flickering.

The creature that had knocked Six to the ground, tried to leap onto him, but Six brought up his foot, lodged it under the Elite's chest and shoved him away with it.

Ashton shook her head. Six could have rolled away, gotten to his feet and easily overpowered them. Why wasn't he thinking?!

A second creature approached as the first stumbled away. The red Elite held a wicked plasma sword, and was ready to use it. The helmet was knocked aside by the stumbling creature as Six used his plasma pistol to shoot the red one's arm, knocking it's sword away as the gray Elite lunged back into the fray.

It made a punch, and Six rolled partially, dodging the blow, and shot the grey one away, and rolled to face it slightly, not seeing the red one recoil. Another stepped into the frame, and blocked the clear field of view from Six.

The image was almost gone. Ashton had strange wetness in her eyes as she watched, and her throat was contracting. Halsey watched in horror. What had she done? The red Elite drew back his arm, and arranged his shields into a mimickery of the sword he had lost, and stabbed towards where Ashton's brother lay.

The screen went black, and two words played across the screen.

SIGNAL LOST.

Ashton began to scream. "No! Brother! Six! Say something!" she wailed. She began to sob, Halsey was more appalled by the appearance of the tears, than the act themselves.

Avery spoke softly, to Halsey only. "She's… she's not like the others, is she?"

Halsey looked at him, only the sobs of the grieving Spartan around them. "No. She's not,"

Avery arched a brow. "This doesn't worry you?"

Halsey smiled a strange smile. "The last time I saw an unusual Spartan, it was _him_," she said softly.

Avery straightened somewhat. "I am being scheduled to meet with the _Autumn_," he said softly.

Halsey nodded. "Make sure Cortana and he aren't separated," she whispered. "I'll keep an eye on this one," she said, looking at Ashton.

The youngest, and perhaps one of the remaining two SPARTANS from the SPARTAN – II project…. Was rewinding the feed from her brother's death. She stared at the screen, and paused it as the red Elite prepared to strike. She glared at it, and despite the tears reflecting the lights on her cheeks, that glare was dangerous.

It said she was someone who had nothing left to lose.

And that was a very dangerous enemy alone.

**Sorry for the slow, and short beginning, but please comment on what you think, and I'll update as soon as I can. **


End file.
